Counting down the days to New Year has us looking back at the year that is winding down.
A young friend said it has been a slow year. He is a student and students have had to stay happy with online classes. It is these young years when we collect experiences.
It has been a year that saw realities change and many had to deal with the unexpected.
One might say that is the case every year but not quite so much as the pandemic years because almost the whole world had to go through the same processes — the fear of the virus and the vaccinations, the loneliness and anxiety the list is endless.
Along with the fear and anxiety was performances of companies and the impact on economy and job security. We have been creative and adaptive as new situations emerged such as the current one with Omicron.
In the recent days there have been occasions to look back and reflect. Have just been reading interview of singer, Peter Andre, and he talked about how conscious he was about fitness and looks during the 90s so much that he had developed an uncomfortable relationship with food. Now right at the beginning of my radio career Peter Andre had made an impact as ‘Mysterious Girl’ was one of the most requested songs on Radio Sultanate of Oman. His style was much admired but only now we know the struggles he went through.
Nothing in life is easy especially success. You can be a one hit wonder but to sustain the success there are too many sacrifices. For that matter Michael Jackson remains timeless because of his originality and the Beatles for urging in an era that was reflected in their songs. Pop music of course today is much enjoyed through various digital media but music and car is an irresistible combination whether it is going to be driverless or not. Whichever the decade there is nothing like long drives and music.
Even while the musical world also transformed from analogue to digital one was not still thinking about Internet of things and a digital economy that will move towards paperless cash. Plastic money was talked about then but online world has just made it all faster and by 2022 it might be mandatory to go digital payment all the way in the Sultanate of Oman.
Banking went online so we do not get to see tellers anymore and it is the automated voices that greets us on mobile banking but how about speaking to robots?
So most of us wait for the person to speak online for queries only to be told in some cases, “That is all we can do.”
Visiting branches have become a rare event and sitting with a token and playing games on the tab or sitting and staring blankly have become a ritual that is a good break from the routine. With less and less human contact and more on the digital world our etiquettes need reworking and our people skill has been diminishing. Listening skill and focus have been challenged thanks to social media’s one minute duration videos.
In an ever changing world we can expect more from new fields for career and in medicine but one aspect that works all time is practicing gratitude.
So as the world winds us to the last month on the calendar of 2021, let us make a list of everything we are grateful for.
Make it a beautiful year! 12 months and 365 opportunities are awaiting us!
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
